


The Harm of Being Famous

by Revision (orphan_account)



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-09-13 13:14:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9125308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Revision
Summary: A hazy one night stand quickly gets more complicated once the media gets involved.





	1. The Morning After

As soon as you woke up you wished you were dead. Your mouth was extremely dry and the unmistakeable bad taste of strong liquor lingered in it. Your head felt like someone was hitting it from the inside with a sledgehammer, and your body ached all over, but most notably between your legs. You grabbed your pillow, inhaling deeply, trying to comfort yourself with the familiar scent. It was a mix of outdoorsy and slightly smoky, and not at all familiar.

With great difficulty, your eyes snapped open, still sticky with the leftover makeup you wore last night. You sat up much too quickly, making your head reel in pain and you double over. Heavy hands raised to rub your temples in a futile attempt to ease the pain. Once it subsided enough, you began to look around.

The room was pitch black, save for a small window high up on the far wall. Despite the pain you felt while looking at the brightly illuminated square, you were able to make out the tires of cars passing by, rather than the sky. You swung your legs over the bed, your foot connecting with something metallic as it flew across the room, crashing sounds amplified painfully. You winced at the ringing aftershocks, but walked on shaky legs over to it, righting it.

Moments later, a door opened and a head popped through it. You winced at the lighting, having barely adjusted to the natural light streaming from the window. Still squinting, you raised your eyes to the undoubtable most attractive man you had ever seen, and promptly puked in front of him.

***

The taste of acid burned your throat as you kneeled, still retching into the metal garbage can that you had kicked. The sick smell of vomit infiltrated your nose as your face hovered above it, making you want to vomit more. Your stomach was empty however, which left you dry heaving. You could feel the cold sweat coating your skin uncomfortably, making the fabric that hung loosely over your shoulders cling to you.

That’s when you noticed that your hair wasn’t in your face at all, and there was a warm hand rubbing your back soothingly. Your body tensed reflexively, and the hand pulled away at your discomfort. A shiver passed through you, and your entire body became acutely aware that the fabric surrounding you was not clothing, but one of the sheets from the bed. You gripped your only covering more tightly than necessary, your face burning up. You wiped your mouth and looked to the bed to stare accusingly at the mysterious, albeit gorgeous, stranger.

You opened your mouth to speak, but all that came out was a raspy cough before the pain from vomiting scraped your raw throat that sent you into a rather painful coughing fit. 

“Here” the man said gently, now kneeling in front of you. In one hand he held a glass of water, and in the other two painkillers. You downed them both quickly, thankful that he had come prepared. “I can answer any questions you may have, though those can wait until you’re feeling well” the same gentle voice said. “For now, I’ll gather some clothes and show you where the bathroom is so you can freshen up”

He offered a hand to you, helping you up slowly to stand. Your knees gave out at the sudden weight, making you stumble into the man. The pain between your legs was more apparent than before as well, which didn’t help. He held you firmly against his chest, steadying you, and helping you into the connected bathroom.

He hesitated on switching on the lights, instead pulling out a lighter and lighting a few nearby candles. The soft lighting was much easier for you to digest, and the light scent of lavender was slightly calming. He was gone a brief moment before returning with some clothes and a new toothbrush, placing them down next on the counter next to the sink. He then started the shower for you.

“I’ll be in the bedroom if you need anything. Just yell out for me” he began. “Ah- don’t take that the wrong way! Just in case you fall and hurt yourself. You’re still a little shaky on your feet” his eyes grazed your form quickly, and you instinctively tightened your grip on the sheet. “I’ll order some hangover food too- in case you get hungry” he said with a small smile before closing the door behind him. 

You were tempted to lock the door, but thought better of it. He hadn’t come off as creepy, quite the opposite really. He was extremely respectful and very sweet. You let the sheet drop and flipped on the switch, reluctantly. After a few moments of pain passed, you began to brush your teeth. When you finally looked up at your reflection, you nearly let out a shriek of surprise. 

Your hair had been pulled back into an extremely loose ponytail, presumably by the man while you puked out last night’s contents. Dark black circles encompassed your eyes from your makeup, and red was stained messily around your lips. Your eyes travelled lower, nearly bulging at the numerous bruises that blanketed the skin of your neck, chest, and shoulders. Turning in the mirror, you saw that more covered your back, thankfully more sporadically. Even your thighs were covered in bruises, leaving nothing to the imagination regarding what had happened last night.

Embarrassment had you glowing bright red all over. You stared until you picked up on an unpleasant scent, only to find it was coming from you. At that, you hastily hopped into the shower, careful not to slip.

***

You came back into the bedroom holding the sheet clutched to your chest like a shield. The man looked up when you came in, making your skin flame when you locked eyes. As expected, his clothes were far too big for you, the collar of the shirt he had thrown you nearly slipping off your shoulder, and the sweatpants having been rolled so many times at your hips that it almost looked like a tutu. 

“How are you feeling?” He asked quietly. He slowly stood and approached you, gently grabbing the sheet from you and placing it on the bed. Feeling exposed, you crossed your arms over your chest.

“Better” you admitted, though you did not meet his worried gaze. 

“The food is here, if you’re hungry” he said. You nodded your head once and he motioned for you to follow him out of the door you had first seen him come from. The smell of fried, greasy food greeted you, and you found a box of fried chicken and some side dishes. You quickly worked some of everything onto your plate, munching on it greedily, momentarily forgetting about your situation. 

“Do… you remember anything about last night?” your host spoke tentatively from across the table. You looked at him clearly for the first time, your jaw dropping. You knew he was gorgeous in the dim lighting, but that didn’t do him justice. Long silvery white hair was pulled neatly into a ponytail behind him. His skin was like fresh snow- so pale and blemish free and perfectly chiseled. The most striking thing about him was his eyes though. A bright ruby color that reflected your own gaping mouth back at you. 

“N-not much” you stammered, trying to regain some of your composure (and your dignity). He nodded his head a few times in agreement, conveying that he had expected as much.

“My name is Zen” he said while you continued to stuff your face. “This is my apartment. Last night- well- I’m sure you-” He broke off sounding flustered, and when you looked up you were surprised to see his cheeks tinted red. “Ahem. Last night we met at a club. We both got insanely drunk and came back here and- well, you know- and here we are now” he said in a rush. “That’s the short of the long anyway” he added sheepishly.

It was just enough to jog some hazy memories for you. You paused eating and began to think. 

You had gone to the club with your friend. Said friend had left shortly after with a guy. You stayed and drank. Some guy came onto you. 

The rest was a bit too hazy to remember, until very vivid recollections of your affair with ‘Zen’ came flooding through your mind. You could feel the heat radiating off of your face and you hung your head in shame between your hands.

“Ohgodohgodohgod” you muttered mostly to yourself. “How could I have been so stupid” you said aloud. You weren’t the type to have a one night stand. You snapped your head up, once again gazing pleadingly at the man across from you. “Did we use a condom?”

“O-of course” he answered confidently, albeit slightly flustered. “If you’d like the longer version...” He calmly began telling you how he had seen you getting some unwanted attention from across the bar and chivalrously played the part of your boyfriend. After that, you two began talking and drinking until you were both drunk. 

“Wait here” he said, heading into the next room. When he came back, he held two cellphones. “You got a lot of notifications last night” he said matter-of-factly as he handed you yours. He silently watched your face as you quickly scanned all of the drunk messages you had sent to your friend, including some terrible drunk selfies you and Zen had taken together. 

“I’m so sorry” You said, feeling even more embarrassed after he had taken such good care of you. You dropped your head in your hands once again, ashamed and frustrated with yourself.

“Hey- It’s alright” he said soothingly. He lifted your chin, wiping away some tears of frustration from your eyes just before they were able to hit your cheeks. “These things happen all of the time, MC” God. He even knew your name. Why was he so perfect?

“I- I should go” you squeaked. “What time is it?” 

“Nearly 3 in the afternoon”

“Oh geez… Uh well, thanks for- you know, this- but I really-” You broke off when you heard Zen’s voice boom with laughter. You watched him, curious and wide eyed as he tried to compose himself.

“You’re very cute when you’re flustered” he remarked. “Are you sure you’re feeling well enough?” You nodded, not trusting your voice to speak. Your eyes must have been playing tricks on you; he looked almost disappointed. He left the table abruptly, heading back into the bedroom. You hesitated, not sure if you should do anything.

He came back a few minutes later, a neatly tied bag in his hand. He handed it to you. “These are all of your clothes. You’re welcome to stay- I don’t want something bad to happen on your way back” The prospect of staying had never crossed your mind, and for obvious reason: the idea was crazier than what had happened last night.

“Thank you, but I really should go” He simply nodded. He strode over to the counter, grabbing a pen and a post-it note.

“If you wouldn’t mind…” he was now scribbling something on it, before he handed it to you. “This is my number. If you need anything or something happens, please don’t hesitate to call me” You nodded and he lead you to the door. He opened it for you and you stepped outside…

Only to be met with the flash of cameras.


	2. Chapter 2

“Zen! Zen! Who is she?!”

“Are you two dating? Is this just a hook up?”

“Smile for the camera, doll”

Paparazzi packed the small sidewalk leading from the half underground apartment. You stood, dazed and wide eyes, the flash of the cameras and the insistent shouting doing nothing to help the remnants of your headache. Zen quickly pulled you inside by the wrist, nearly slamming the door behind you.

You were still connected once back inside, his grip firm on you still. “Sorry if I was a little rough” he apologized, now releasing you and using his hand to scratch the back of his head sheepishly. Given the context of last night, his choice of words were rather amusing. You said nothing, standing in front of him wide eyed and mouth gaping open, still in a state of shock. He gently guided you to the couch and sat you down, scared that you might faint on him.

“I’ll go make some tea” he said awkwardly, leaving you on the couch. You took out your phone after he left, searching up the name ‘Zen’. Up popped a million results leading to various performance reviews, fanpages, and ticket vendor sites for upcoming shows. Your phone dropped onto the couch with a soft thud, and Zen strode into the room holding two mugs. He handed you one, mumbling a thank you.

“Ahem…” he cleared his throat, taking a seat across from you on top of his coffee table. His red eyes scanned over you worriedly as he waited for any reaction from you. When he got none, he began apologizing profusely for the ambush. “... And I’m sure that was quite a shock- sorry again. I don’t know how they found out that you were here…” he began trailing off.

Your phone went off, startling you slightly. You shifted the untouched mug of tea to one hand while grabbing your phone with the other. It was your friend again, though now she was spamming you with screenshots from a certain actor’s instagram. Similarly to your own, they were a bunch of drunk selfies- though his were taken with far more skill than your own.

“I think I know how” you said, showing the messages to him. His eyes widened slightly, and his face flushed pink. 

“So that’s how…” he said softly to himself. “I should have been more aware of how much I had to drink” Surprisingly, he began laughing all of a sudden.

“What’s so funny?” you prodded.

“I’ve spent all of my career with a spotless record from scandals” he said, a small smile still tracing his lips. “I always thought that when the paparazzi caught me at an inconvenient time that it would be because I had a secret girlfriend” 

“So what’s gonna happen now?” 

“Hmm… They may be out there for a while, so for now it’d be best if we both stayed inside” He paused thoughtfully. “Of course I don’t wish to keep you here if you want to go, but, until things die down this is the best solution” A text sounded from his phone and he gingerly pulled it from his pocket. 

* * *

~Zen has entered the chat~

 

Jaehee: Zen

Jaehee: …

Jaehee: [.jpeg]

 

Yoosung: (shocked emoji)

Yoosung: Wha-?!!

 

707: OoOo

707: Scandalous

707: Yoosung! Shield your eyes! >.<

 

Yoosung: (angry emoji)

 

Zen: (annoyed emoji)

 

Jaehee: This could be very harmful for your career. I suggest we arrange a press conference to clear up any confusion…

 

Zen: Thank you for your concern Jaehee

Zen: I don’t think right now is the right time though…

 

Jaehee: …

 

Yoosung: Why not?

 

Zen: … She’s still here

 

Yoosung: (shocked emoji)

 

Zen: We got ambushed by the paparazzi when she tried to leave…

Zen: So she’s staying until things die down.

 

Jaehee: I can have Mr. Han send a car over-

 

Zen: I don’t need that trust fund jerk’s help

Zen: Besides, something was bound to happen eventually

Zen: To my reputation

 

707: (nodding emoji)

 

Yoosung: Wow

Yoosung: You’re taking this well Zen

 

707: OoOoOo   
707: She’s cute

707: No wonder

707: Zen’s weakness for women

707: Is stronger than his devotion to acting

707: (heart emoji)

 

Zen: (annoyed emoji)

Zen: Don’t invade her privacy

 

Jaehee: …

 

Zen: I should go

Zen: It’s rude to keep a lady waiting

Zen: Especially when she’s right across from you

 

~Zen has left the chat~

* * *

“Sorry” Zen looked up, placing his phone back in his pocket. “Let me know if you get hungry. I would suggest we order something to eat, but with the paparazzi we may just have to finish the rest of the chicken...”

“You don’t keep much food here?” You inquired.

“Normally I’m always too busy to cook, so things go bad pretty quickly” He explained. “Since we don’t know how long they’ll be out there… Why don’t we get to know each other better?” he said, shooting you a bright smile. “And if you wouldn’t mind, maybe you could help me read my lines?”

“I thought one night stands were, you know, one night” You thought aloud before you could stop yourself.

“That’s...” Zen looked taken aback at your statement. You almost let out a laugh at his expression, but thought better of it. “I wouldn’t know much about that sort of thing”

“Oh” you sobered up, trying to mask your piqued interest. Your face must have betrayed you, your own expression catching his attention.

“Were you surprised?” 

“To be honest… a little bit” you admitted. The corners of his mouth downturned slightly “N-not to offend you, or anything!” you quickly stammered “Y-you’re just- uhm- reallyattractive” you spat out quickly, your face burning. His face lit up after that, obviously catching what you said.

“Ah, that makes me feel good” He looked at you and smirked “And that cute expression is back on your face” You kept your mouth in a thin line after that, not trusting yourself to speak. “I’m going to grab a beer. Would you like one?” He asked, now towering above you standing at his full height. 

“I think I’ll stick with water” you said, exchanging your untouched tea for a bottle when he brought it to you. “So, you’re an actor” you began after taking a healthy sip.

“Yes. I do mostly musical theater” He said passionately. “I fell in love with acting and singing when I was young” he added fondly. “Oh! If you get bored later, maybe you would like me to give you a private performance?”

You were wondering how much more of a performance he could give you than last night, but simply nodded. “You wanted to read lines, right?” you offered. “We can do that now if you’d like” He beamed at you, leaving for a moment to grab both of you a copy of the script. On the top of the page, written in bold letters, were the words  **“Jekyll and Hyde”** .

“I didn’t know that they made this into a musical…” You mused.

“Are you familiar with the story?” Zen asked looking up from his own script to meet your eyes.

“Only a bit” You said, which he nodded at. “Where do you want to start?”

“How about…” Zen trailed off, flipping several pages before stopping “Here. Page 90”

* * *

“I think they’ve finally given up” Zen said, peeking out of a small window near the door. After reading lines for a few hours and talking some more, the two of you had decided to take a break and see how the paparazzi situation was going.

“Really?” you said, popping up from your spot on the couch to take a look for yourself. Zen moved out of your way, allowing you to see the cleared sidewalk. You moved to grab your things, glad to finally be able to leave. It wasn’t like Zen was bad company; after everything, you just wanted nothing more than to fall onto your own bed and fall asleep. 

“I’ll escort you home” Zen said, grabbing a leather jacket hanging near the door. You opened your mouth to insist that, that wouldn’t be necessary, but he cut you off “It’s not safe to walk home alone at night. Besides, It’ll be much faster if we take my bike” He had a playful smile on his face and he was holding up a pair of keys.

“Ever been?” he asked, handing you a helmet. You shrugged and shook your head before putting the helmet on. The visor completely covered your face and it slid down a bit, too big for your head.

“Here” Zen said, clipping it in place under your chin and tightening it. He tugged on it, making sure that it wasn’t too loose before putting on his own. He straddled the motorcycle, then motioned for you to come up behind him. You easily slipped your arms around his waist, lacing your fingers in the front. You could feel his toned abs underneath your hands, and how they automatically tensed at your touch. He turned his head enough so that you could hear him, and though you couldn’t see his face through the helmet, you were sure he was smiling.

“Hold on tight”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like half of this chapter is just chatroom, so this chapter is a bit longer than the previous ones. Enjoy!

“Thanks for the ride” You said as you let go of Zen’s waist in order to remove your helmet. You handed it to him after he removed his own. Zen opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it and let it shut. You got off the bike and stood awkwardly for a moment, curious to see if he was going to say anything. When he didn’t, you gave a small wave before ascending the staircase to your building.

You were almost inside when you heard him call out to you. You turned around and he was now climbing the steps, stopping on one a few lower than the stoop so that you were eye level. Looking past him, you saw that his bike was parked, but still running down below.

“You have my number, right?” You shifted the items you were carrying around until you pulled out a small piece of paper with his number. “Call me if you need anything” He said with a friendly smile. You said that you would. “Then, goodnight. I hope you have good dreams tonight, jagiya” he said with a wink

“Goodnight” you said with a playful smile, before entering your building and heading towards the elevator. A wave of relief washed over you once you entered your apartment, the familiar layout a comforting sight once you flipped on the lights. You set the bag of clothes down on the table before going straight to your room to pass out. You fell asleep as soon as your head hit the pillow.

A series of dreams plagued you that night. All including sexual acts between you and a certain white haired actor. Or perhaps they were memories from the night before? You couldn’t tell, but you were definitely significantly more aroused than normal by the time you woke up. You went to the bathroom, quickly showering before making breakfast. The sight of all the love bites on your body was just as shocking as the first time around, but at least you could walk without any pain today.

You turned on the TV, letting the news play in the background as you began making some coffee and pancakes. You sat and began eating, thankful that it was a Sunday. Your body was still extremely worn out and you planned on taking at least one nap today. You looked forward to it, taking a big sip of coffee.

“In other news, popular musical star Zen was seen yesterday outside of the apartment of an alleged lover” You nearly choked as pictures of you and Zen standing outside your apartment flew onto the screen while the woman continued “The two were caught earlier trying to leave his apartment that day, but the couple quickly retreated until after dark” Pictured from you trying to leave during the day appeared on the screen and you nearly screamed. You looked awful in Zen’s oversized clothes, and a lot of your love bites could be clearly seen.

“You know, this is both shocking and not shocking” a man, her co host, began “He’s always been very secretive about any relationships, so it’s strange that he ‘got caught’, so to speak. However, he’s an attractive man. Women are bound to be drawn to him”

“Yes well, some fans may think differently. Already, there have been several hateful comments on an instagram photo he shared the other night featuring this mystery woman. All names have been blurred to protect the identities of the fans and the woman” A flurry of comments calling you awful names flashed on the screen briefly, making your heart sink. Among the names, accusations of you forcing yourself on Zen were very popular.

“Zen has yet to make a comment on their relationship, but for her sake, I hope-” you turned off the TV and sat staring down at your half eaten breakfast, no longer hungry. You would definitely be avoiding social media for a while until this all blew over. All of a sudden your phone began blowing up with messages from curious friends. Annoyed, you turned your phone off and went to fall back asleep.

***

You didn’t wake up until the following morning when you had to get ready for work. You groaned once you turned your phone back on, hundreds of message notifications lighting up the screen. You read some of them, but didn’t reply as you got ready for work. The most surprising was the 500+ follower requests on instagram that you had. Your account was private, thankfully, but you had been tagged from Zen’s account and were now trying to be scoped out by his fans. You quickly put the phone away, shoving it in your coat pocket before heading off to work.

You paused outside of the elevator, mouth gaping at the crowd of reporters trying to gain access to the building. You strongly considered going back upstairs to avoid all the commotion, but chose to suck it up. You walked out of the building, a million cameras and microphones ambushing you as you called a cab to take you to work. You hopped in, relief washing over you as the car sped away from the scene.

* * *

 

~Jaehee has entered the chatroom~

  
Jaehee: .jpeg  
Jaehee: It’s all over the news…  
Jaehee: Zen, were you able to get to rehearsal okay?

Zen: Yes, but the paparazzi…  
Zen: I can’t help but worry about MC…  
Zen: (sad emoji)

Jaehee: All the attention brought to her must be a shock  
Jaehee: But your popularity has been suffering a bit since the fans are angry  
Jaehee: Everyone wants a comment on your relationship status…

~Jumin has entered the chatroom~

Zen: Great. Just what I need right now

Jumin: Hello Zen, Assistant Kang.

Zen: Why are you here? Today has been bad enough so far

Jumin: I was bored  
Jumin: And it is only a bad day because you were so careless the other night

Zen: (angry emoji)  
Zen: Says you! You’re in the media all the time you jerk!

Jaehee: Zen, please calm down. Negative exposure does not affect Mr Han’s success like it does yours.

Zen: (sigh emoji)  
Zen: Thanks Jaehee

Jaehee: I still think it would be valuable to hold a press conference and clear the air.  
Jaehee: However, on the topic of your relationship with Ms MC…  
Jaehee: Claiming it as a one night stand may be hurtful to both your career and Ms MC

Jumin: If I might make a suggestion

Zen: NO

Jumin: ...

Jaehee: ...

Jumin: I was going to say that I could offer some protection for Ms MC  
Jumin: Just a few bodyguards to keep away the paparazzi

Zen: I don’t need your help  
Zen: Stop showing off

Jaehee: Zen, it may be wise to take Mr Han’s offer  
Jaehee: Who knows how overwhelmed Ms MC might be feeling

Jumin: You must also account for any fans who may wish her harm

Zen: …  
Zen: Fine

Jumin: Excellent. In return, I expect you to model for my cat food commercial

Zen: (angry emoji)  
Zen: I’m ALLERGIC, you jerk!  
Zen: Here I thought you were being decent...

Jumin: Offering your services without gaining anything in return is poor business  
Jumin: Unless you’d rather not do business…

Zen: I’ll do it! Fine!  
Zen: Let me talk to her and warn her first  
Jaehee: Zen, the relationship status…

~Zen has left the chatroom~

Jumin: Assistant Kang, I have to go. Tell me what Zen says

~Jumin has left the chatroom~  
~Zen has entered the chatroom~

Jaehee: What did Ms MC say?

Zen: …  
Zen: We didn’t exchange numbers  
Zen: I mean, I gave her mine, but…

Jaehee: (sulking emoji)

Zen: It’s okay. I’ll go see her after rehearsal, and...

Jaehee: She may be at work  
Jaehee: And if the paparazzi are at her home, it would only fuel the rumors

Zen: Then what do we…

~707 has entered the chatroom~

707: Greetings humble earthlings!  
707: I come from outer space to deliver an important message!  
707: XXX-XXXX

Zen: Whose number is that?

707: Why, the mysterious MC!

Zen: (surprised emoji)  
Zen: Dude! Not cool!

707: I’ll delete the message after you save her number, so don’t worry  
707: You needed to get in touch, right?

Zen: …  
Zen: Thanks

Jaehee: Although it’s an invasion of privacy…

Zen: Jaehee, I’ll call you soon

~Zen has left the chatroom~

* * *

  
You were sitting at your desk, typing away at a report due soon when the ringing of your cellphone caught your attention. You frowned, you hardly ever left the ringer on.

“Hello?” You answered the phone, confused that the caller name came up as ‘Unknown’.

“Mc!” a familiar voice came from the other line. You left your desk, entering the bathroom and locking it behind you.

“Zen?! How did you get my number?” you asked. You knew for a fact that you hadn’t given him your number, nor had you called him from you phone.

“Eh, I can’t exactly tell you that…” he paused. “But nevermind that! Have the paparazzi been bothering you?”

“Yes” you said, deciding to drop the question of how he got your number- for now that is. “I could barely get to work this morning…”

“I’m so sorry to get you mixed up in this… But, if you’d like, I can send you some bodyguards to help keep you safe”

“Bodyguards? Wouldn’t that draw more attention to-”

“They’re from a… friend” Zen hesitated at the word ‘friend’. “They’ll keep the press away and anyone else who might want to hurt you”

“Hurt me?”

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to worry you! But a lot of my fans are upset and… I just don’t want anything bad to happen. Please”

“Okay. I’ll text you my work address” you said. “Thank you for looking out for me”

“There’s no need to thank me, MC! It’s my fault you’re in this position after all. But, there is one more thing…”

“What is it?”  
A muffled shout could be heard from his end. “Ah! The director is calling me. I have to go. I’ll call you later!”

With that, the actor hung up, leaving you confused and slightly anxious. You tried to shake it off and returned back to your desk, but focusing on work was impossible. Every time you looked around, you caught glances from your coworkers that you hadn’t noticed before. It made you feel uneasy. That feeling only got worse when four built men in suits surrounded you about an hour later.

From an outsider’s perspective, it was probably comical; four massive men and one you all tightly packed into a cubicle. You offered them chairs, but they remained standing, looking above the cubicle walls for any threats.

Instead of a cab ride, you were surprised that a transportation van had been provided to shuttle you and your guards wherever you needed to go. Whoever had hired these men had to have been extremely wealthy for you to be receiving this kind of treatment. Just who was Zen friends with?

You looked nervously at the large crowd waiting for you outside of your building. However, the guards created a comfortable gap between you and them as they escorted you inside. Relief flooded you once you were inside. You expected the men to leave, but they accompanied you all the way to your apartment. You unlocked the door and thanked them, but they halted you. One of them entered your apartment. Staying there a few minutes before coming back out and giving the ‘all clear’.

You thanked them again and they turned their backs to you, guarding the door before you closed it. Taking out your phone, you tried to call Zen, but he didn’t answer. He must still be at rehearsal.

You ran a bath, trying to unwind from your stressful day. You were looking through all the notifications that you had ignored earlier leisurely, deleting them one by one. You suddenly wondered how long this would take to blow over. Weeks? Months? Your head hurt at the thought. All you wanted was for your quiet life to return.

You ordered enough takeout to feed you and the guards, who thanked you but assured you that it was unnecessary. You kept glancing back at your phone, waiting for Zen to call you back. When your phone lit up, you leaped for it, but was surprised to only find a text from your friend telling you to turn on the news.

You did so reluctantly, tuned into the same station that was on this morning. On the screen was Zen with the two hosts. The headline of the segment read: _Fling or Relationship? Zen Tells All_.


	4. Chapter 4

You froze, unable to turn your attention away from the screen. This was a dream, right? There was no way that Zen would do something this drastic without telling you, right?

The truth is, you couldn’t say. You hadn’t nearly known him long enough. 

You sat yourself down on the couch, not trusting your legs to support you any longer. You were completely engrossed in the conversation that was live. Who knows what Zen would say?

“It’s great to have you here, Zen. I’m a big fan of yours” the woman host admitted with a charismatic smile. “But let’s get right to it, shall we?” She addressed the crowd, who audibly cheered, urging them to continue probing. “There’s been a lot of speculation about this mystery woman who popped up recently into your life. Who is she?”

“Don’t spare any dirty details either” The male host added. “You two seemed to have quite a night the other night, am I right?” he addressed the crowd, who was nearly deafening. Zen smiled and waved, not speaking until it died down. He looked completely comfortable despite the invasive questioning. He was either used to this sort of thing, or he was acting.

“If I’m being completely honest...” your breath caught as you hung on to every single word “That beautiful lady beside me is my  _ girlfriend _ ” Cheering erupted once again from the audience, both cries of anger and excitement. You nearly fainted at the mention of him claiming you to be his. The only thing that kept you going was that Zen was trying to speak again. “We’ve actually been seeing each other for a few months now- about when I got the script for my newest role. She’s very shy however, and very considerate of my career so she was the one who suggested that the relationship be kept low key”

“C’mon, Zen! Give us more details!” the woman hooted at him. 

“Hey, I’ve got an idea! Why don’t you call her?” the man suggested, eliciting another roar from the audience. Not before long, the entire crowd was chanting ‘Call her! Call her!” 

Zen’s casual facade had faded away and a nervous smile replaced it. “I wouldn’t want to disturb her. She had a long day at work today” he tried to evade, but they weren’t having it. Instead, they connected his phone to the speaker system while he dialed the number.

Shortly after, your phone began vibrating, scaring you out of your immobile state. You considered not answering the phone, but hell if you weren’t going to give him shit for blindsiding you like this. You took a deep breath before answering the phone in the sweetest voice you could muster.

“Hello~”

“Babe! What are you doing right now?” he said full of confidence. You weren’t having that. You wanted to see him sweat. 

“Oh nothing much… Just thinking about you~” you practically purred. You watched his reaction intently, his adam’s apple bobbing as he laughed.

“Are you watching me right now?” He asked, a hint of nerves underlying his playful tone.

“Yes. I’m a little upset that you didn’t take my call earlier” you pretended to pout. “I wanted to have a  _ -private- _ conversation” you said as suggestively as you could in your innocent sounding voice. At this, the crowd whooped, and the hosts looked shocked at your boldness. You felt bubbly when you saw Zen flush a bit.

“Ah, sorry. I promise I’ll make it up to you” he cooed, returning to his confident self.

“~Zenny~” you drew out, determined to make the actor once again lose his composure. “When you’re done there, come over.  _ I want to see you _ ” you nearly begged, to which he gulped.

“B-but by the time I’m done, it’ll be so late” he tried to counter, stuttering occasionally.

“You could just stay the night then~” you remarked playfully, and he was done. His pale skin was now a deep shade of red.

“Ah-” Zen broke off, unable to come up with a response.

“Oh! Someone’s at the door! I’ll be waiting for you later ~Zenny~” you said seductively before hanging up the phone. The crowd was going crazy. Zen looked like  _ he  _ was going to pass out, his composure damned to hell.

“I thought you said she was shy” remarked the male host with a laugh. “Looks like you got yourself a little minx”

Zen just tried to laugh with him, but it came off as quiet and slightly awkward. He cleared his throat, turning his attention back to the female host.

“She sounds like a very nice girl” the woman said politely.

"Are you sure she isn’t a performer?” the man remarked “Because she definitely seems able to put on a good show” You rolled your eyes at the comment. He had been making suggestive comments about you earlier as well. Something about Zen changed after that comment though. He was completely serious now, no longer a flustered mess.

“The comments you’ve been making tonight have been very disrespectful” he said almost angrily to the male host. The man was taken aback by it, but Zen continued to grill him. “I do not like what you are insinuating about my girlfriend”

“Hey, I meant no offense...” the male tried to defend. The audience was completely silent now, watching as the host struggled under Zen’s burning stare.

“Well, Zen. Thank you very much for being here with us tonight. We sincerely wish you both the best. Isn’t that right everyone?” The female host swooped in, attempting to diffuse the tension. The crowd let out a final round of applause while Zen smiled and waved. “We’ll be right back after the break” the woman added, and then it cut to a commercial.

Not a moment later, your phone was ringing again. For the third time that day, you weren’t surprised to find that it was from Zen. 

“Hello~” you said just as sweetly as you had on the air.

“What was that? Are you trying to kill me?!” Zen began ranting, but he didn’t sound particularly angry. “I nearly lost it completely out there thanks to you! Teasing me like that- while live on the air?! How could you-”

“No. How could you!” you countered. “You gave me no warning that you were going to go public with a relationship between us  _ that doesn’t even exist _ ! We had sex, Zen! That’s it! I don’t know anything about you, other than you’re an actor and you own a motorcycle, and you know nothing about me! Did you even  _ think  _ what would happen afterwards? People are going to expect us to be seen together all of the time, regular instagram posts, etc.”

You paused a moment to catch your breath, your lungs spent. Zen remained silent for such a long time that you thought for a moment that he had hung up on you. “I’m sorry” he said quietly after a long while. “I had planned to tell you earlier, but that’s when the director called me. And then rehearsal ran late, and I was already scheduled to interview and-” he broke off, letting out a frustrated sigh.

“Look, I’m sorry I got so worked up. And that I teased you” you said, your voice much softer than when you went off on him. “But you really  _ should  _ come over. We need to work out a plan” 

***

Half an hour later, there was a knock at your door. When you opened it, the guards were still blocking the door, but a head of silvery-white hair was just visible. 

“It’s okay. Let him in” you said and they parted like the Red Sea. You were surprised to see a woman trailing behind him, dressed in an office worker’s attire. You closed the door after her, offering both of them tea. Zen accepted the tea, but the woman beside him asked for a cup of coffee instead.

“Unfortunately, this is all I have” You said, handing her a small glass coffee bottle from starbucks. “I’m not sure if you like cold coffee though...” 

“Thank you, Ms MC. This is sufficient” she reassured. Her and Zen were sitting in two armchairs that flanked the couch, Zen on your right and the woman on your left. You plopped unceremoniously onto your couch, trying not to feel too intimidated by the woman’s stare. “My name is Jaehee Kang” she introduced herself.

“MC” You replied with a nervous smile.

“Mc, Jaehee is here to help with the planning” Zen explained.

“As a friend and an avid fan of Zen’s, it is my responsibility to teach you all of the things to know about him. Given what he said in the interview, you two would have been dating for around five months now” she said. “The quickest way to resolve this matter would be to claim that the attention brought to you was simply too much, thus ending with you breaking up with Zen. Of course, for this to happen, you would need to endure this treatment for at least three weeks more” she stated matter of factly.

“Great” you said, grateful to have someone with a decisive plan helping out. Zen moved out of the corner of your eye. Glancing quickly at him, you saw his arms crossed over his chest and a ghost of a frown on his lips. “So all i have to do is pretend to date Zen for three weeks?”

Jaehee nodded. “As well as learn the basics about each other, should your relationship be questioned.” She pulled out two identical packets littered with blank spaces. “Both of you will fill one of these out, then exchange them so that the other may learn from it. Ms MC, if you have any additional questions regarding Zen, I can help you. At the end, we will come together and devise a series of memories for you two to have shared over these past five months”

“You’re awesome” you said gratefully taking your packet and beginning to fill it out. It was full of basic questions, like ‘What is your name?’ Favorite color? Birthday? etc. Jaehee pulled out a laptop and small stack of papers while you and Zen filled out your packets. 

“Jaehee, I’m sorry to drag you away from work” Zen spoke up for the first time since entering. This drew your attention back to the small stack of papers. It was already nearly midnight, and Jaehee was still working? And helping you out?

“I’m so sorry” you apologized, now understanding why she had requested coffee at such a late hour. “It’s my fault for adding to your work”

“Hey, I shoulder half of that blame” Zen said slightly irritated. He seemed to be in a weird mood since Jaehee had mentioned the plan, though you wondered if he was still upset that you teased him. Regardless, you tried to return your focus back to your packet.

“It’s important that Zen keep his image respectable. If he needs my help to do so, then I will gladly sacrifice my time to help him” Jaehee said, her eyes never leaving the screen as she typed furiously at the keys.

You and Zen finished your packets roughly about the same time. You exchanged them, you only getting to quickly glance through his before Jaehee called your attention. The three of you then began coming up with dates, gifts, celebrations, and memories exchanged between you and Zen the past few months. By the time you finished, it was nearly three in the morning.

Zen excused himself to use the bathroom before him and Jaehee left. In that time, Jaehee turned to you. “Ms MC, I expect you to follow the plan accordingly. While I cannot wholly blame your for the interview, your answers were crude and reflected poorly on Zen. Please refrain from doing so in the future”

You were taken aback a moment. “I’m sorry. You’re right” you admitted, despite being put off by the cold manner she had spoke in. “I was just upset that he blindsided me like that. I really appreciate you helping us get everything under control”

She nodded, before rummaging in her bag for a moment before placing a daunting number of DVDs on your coffee table. “These are all DVDs from every one of Zen’s shows. Watching them in your spare time would be very beneficial” she remarked. The idea of spending the weekend binge watching his performances alone didn’t seem quite appealing.

“Jaehee, I know that we’ve only just met but, would you be interested in watching them with me? This weekend” You asked. Her eyes widened in surprised but she didn’t give much of a reaction otherwise.

“I am an assistant for a very busy man, so my schedule is often hectic” she said, letting the sting of rejection hit you. “But I will let you know later this week. Here is my card” she said handing you a business card from C&R. You smiled at her, barely noticing Zen coming back into the room. Jaehee then quickly packed up her belongings, and bid you goodnight, warning Zen not to stay much longer when he didn’t immediately follow her out.

The only sound heard was the clinking of cups as you began to clean up. Zen trailed behind slowly, leaning on the counter opposite of the sink.

“Are you really okay with this?” Zen spoke suddenly, startling you enough to make you drop the cup you were washing in the sink. You quickly shut off the water before facing him, your tired eyes meeting his gaze. 

“It’s the best option for you, right?” you asked. “I don’t want to hurt something you’ve been building up for years” Jaehee’s comment about some damage already being done resurfaced at the back of your mind.

“Thank you for going along with this, MC” he said. “I know it didn’t give you much of a choice, so it’s very unfair to you. But…” he paused, taking a step closer to you so that you were almost toe to toe with one another. “I fully intend to be the best boyfriend for you for the next three weeks. His hands came up to cup your face and you stiffened automatically. He placed a light kiss to the top of your head, then whispered “Goodnight MC” in your ear before pulling away and walking out of your apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a pretty fun chapter to write. I hope you liked it! Baehee is a PR master!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I feel like this is kinda just a filler chapter? Hope you guys like it! Thanks for all the positive comments! :)

You would think that being up until after three in the morning would make it very easy to fall asleep.

Well, you’d be wrong.

You dragged yourself to work the next morning on no sleep. The caffeine in your veins from the crappy office coffee was the only thing that kept you functioning. In all honesty, it would have been better if you had called in sick. Your focus was incredibly shot; you had been staring at the same screen for several minutes, but were unable to absorb anything that it was saying. Your thoughts flickered back to Jaehee, and you wondered how she managed to function on days like today.

The vibrating of your phone welcomed a distraction, which you gladly took. “Babe! You picked up!” Zen said enthusiastically. You could feel the energy radiating off of him, but it seemed to only suck the remaining energy from you.

“Hi” you offered weakly in response.

“Eh? What’s wrong?” he asked, voice flooding with concern.

“I didn’t sleep at all last night” you groaned quietly. “I’m dying right now”

“MC, you need to take care of yourself! Next time that happens, just call me- I’ll sing you to sleep” He scolded lightly. “When do you get off for lunch?” You slowly dragged your eyes to the nearest clock.

“An hour” you replied, tiredly.

“Well, then I will see you then” Zen said, cheekily. 

“Huh...?”

“Rehearsal is ending early today, so I thought that we could at least go out for lunch” He was already committing to the boyfriend role, wasn’t he? You should do the same but…

“I don’t think today would be good. I look like a zombie, and I feel like I belong six feet under…” you mumbled into the receiver. Zen laughed a bit from the other end.

“Then how about I pick you up and take you home? You need the rest” You wanted to protest, but that sounded like the best thing right now.

“Okay” you said quietly.

“I’ll see you soon! Bye, babe!”

You let loose a heavy sigh before forcing yourself to finish reading the screen in front of you. Afterwards, you typed an email and sent it to your boss, notifying them about you taking a sick leave the rest of the day. When it was time to go, you told the bodyguards to meet back at your apartment, and that you were getting a ride with Zen.

It wasn’t hard to spot his motorcycle, which was parked dangerously close to the doors. He quickly handed you a helmet before you hopped on and sped away. He offered to carry you upstairs, which was tempting, but you declined for now. Once you were upstairs, you immediately went to your room, forgetting for a moment that Zen was with you.

You curled up under the covers, feeling the bed dip a bit where Zen sat perched on the edge. As promised, he began singing to you softly until you were lulled to sleep.

***

You woke up to a pitch black bedroom. Zen didn’t seem to be in the room any longer, and you wondered if he had left. If he hadn’t, then what had he done the past few hours? Reluctantly, you slipped from your cocoon of blankets and went out into the kitchen to see if he was there. Not only was he there, but so was a bunch of food.  

“Oh. You’re up” he said quietly. “I got you some food, in case you were hungry” he said. He pulled out a chair for you, which you sat in and thanked him. He sat across from you, preparing two plates. He placed yours in front of you before diving into his own.

“Did you wait to eat with me?” You asked. He nodded in response, as his cheeks were stuffed with food. A pang of guilt hit you, but it didn’t last long as your stomach growled loudly, seeing as you had ditched lunch to sleep.  Instead, you turned your attention towards the food. After both of your finished, Zen took both of your plates and placed them in the sink and began to wash them.

“You don’t have to” you insisted, but he continued to do them.

"You’re still tired” he said, turning his head over his shoulder. You were slumped onto the kitchen table, letting it fully support your weight. When the sound of rushing water stopped you looked up, surprised that Zen was no longer in sight. “You seem tense” Zen remarked from behind you. “I can rub your shoulders if you’d like” 

“I’m okay” you said, turning in your chair to face him. “You’ve done more than enough…” You broke off, interrupted by a yawn. “What time is it?” you asked sleepily.

“9:30” he replied. You yawned again before walking over to the couch, Zen following hesitantly in toe. “MC, if you’d like to go to sleep, I can leave” he said from behind you. You motioned for him to sit beside you. 

“Tell me about yourself” you mumbled. “I’m too tired to read the packet” A small smile crept on his face as he sat down, his upper body turned towards you. He looked up at the ceiling for a moment while collecting his thoughts.

“Let’s see… My real name is Hyun Ryu. I was born April 1st, 1993- so I’m 23…” He trailed off, getting distracted by you trying- and failing- to keep yourself awake. Every few seconds your head would bob up and down, threatening to tip you over. “MC, go to bed. We have time to work on this” he half-laughed.

His command fell to deaf ears, as you had indeed fallen asleep. You were in a rather funny position: you were facing him, with one arm leaning on the back of the couch to support your head on a loose fist. He was torn between carrying you to your room, waking you up, or letting your sleep on the couch. He opted for waking you up, as he felt that he didn’t know you well enough to carry you there without your consent.

“Hey, MC” He said softly, shaking your shoulder a bit. “C’mon. Head off to bed” he said, offering you a hand. You took it, stumbling into him a bit due to one of your legs having fallen asleep. He helped guide you and waited until you were settled in bed before taking his leave.

***

You were dressed up more than usual at the office today. You woke up to several text messages from Zen. He wanted to go out and take some cute couple photos when both of you got off work.  You were going to meet up in an hour to take some during lunch as well. Of course it would take a while to create around five months worth of photos, but it was a start. 

Thankfully, all your bruising had either faded, or was covered with makeup. After the other night however, many reporters had caught snaps of Zen entering and leaving late into the night, only fueling the stories being written about you two. You also received a ton of messages from your family and friends, who were all put off by you not telling them about your ‘long term relationship’.

Zen greeted you with a hug and a bouquet of flowers today when you met him outside, his bike nowhere in sight, today. He offered you his arm and you two began to walk to a nearby park. He pulled out his phone, stopping you every few minutes so he could take some selfies. They came out really well- Zen had quite the eye for detail. The natural lighting made both of you shine beautifully.

Not long into your photo shoot, a pair of girls approached you both. They were excitable, and obviously fans of Zen’s. He greeted them warmly with you standing beside him quietly. The girls paid you no mind, instead begging for pictures with Zen and asking him for autographs. 

“Babe, you don’t mind, do you?” he asked you. Right. If this were a real date, this kind of interruption would be a bit bothersome. You shook your head and shot him a smile, which he returned. You watched with a little amusement as the three struggled to take a few pictures of the three of them alone.

“I can take some, if you both would like to be in a picture with Zen” you offered the two girls. They stared at you for the first time, not answering you right away. They seemed to be sizing you up, and you did your best not to let their staring get to you. Instead, you remained smiling sweetly.

“Great idea!” Zen said enthusiastically. He jumped between the two girls and you took a few pictures on both of their phones, balancing your bouquet in the crook of your elbow. Afterwards, they both hugged Zen. Something nagged at you at the sight of it. The way they freely touched him…

“Doesn’t that bother you?” You asked after the girls had gone on their way.

“Meeting fans?” Zen asked in confusion.

“Having them just touch you whenever they want” You explained.

“Ah. Not really. I’m pretty used to it” he said, making your eyebrows shoot up. “Because of my looks, people have always wanted to touch me. Even growing up” he explained. “Oh. Your lunch break ends soon, right? We should start heading back” he said after looking at is phone. He offered you a hand this time, which you took as you walked back.

You stopped at a small ice cream cart, since neither of you had actually eaten lunch. You planned on paying for your own, but Zen refused, giving you some spiel about how it was a man’s job to pay for his lady when they were out. You thanked him, but fully intending to repay him one way or another.

“See you tonight?” he asked when you were back outside your office building.

“It’s a date” you said, shooting him a wink before walking inside to find a temporary vase for your flowers.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a bit late! I got caught up with some schoolwork, and rewrote this chapter because of unnecessary drama/angst. So I decided to keep it light! I hope you enjoy it!

“Wow” Zen said at the door of his apartment. You had met at his place after dinner, and planned to go out from there. You didn’t think you were wearing anything too special; a simple black turtleneck and pair of skinny jeans that hugged your form nicely, paired with some black booties. Zen still stood in the doorway, preventing you from entering, and his mouth slightly agape.

“Are we just going to stand here all night?” You teased.

“Ah- Sorry!” he said, moving aside to let you enter. “Would you like anything to drink?” he asked, already halfway to the kitchen to get himself some water.

“I’m okay” you said, seating yourself on the couch. You crossed one leg over the other and leaned back casually, browsing on your phone until he came back. 

“I’m going to change, and then we can head out” Zen said before disappearing into his bedroom, while you grabbed for your phone again. “How do I look?” he asked, now standing directly in front of you. He was wearing a deep blue button down paired with black slacks. The dark colors made the paleness of his flawless skin pop, and you were suddenly reminded of just how attractive he was. The last few days had been stressful, so it had been easy to ignore. But now that you had planned everything out…

“Great” you heard yourself say, though you now felt a bit underdressed. He beamed at you, pulling you up from the couch by your hands before leading you outside. You walked right past his parked bike, instead walking up to a car parked on the kirb. Like a gentleman, he opened the door for you. “I didn’t know you had a car” you said as you climbed inside.

“It’s a friend’s. I didn’t think that a motorcycle would be the best mode of transportation tonight” he replied, joining you on the other side and starting it up. He let it warm up for a few minutes before pulling onto the main road. “How does a karaoke bar sound tonight?” he asked, angling his head towards you and taking small glances every few seconds.

“Remember what happened the last time we were at a bar?” you asked, playfully. Even in the dim lighting, you could see the red staining his cheeks. 

“Well if you don’t want to…” he began to pout, sticking his lower lip out just a bit. You let out a laugh and his pout deepened. “You’ve been teasing me so much lately, jagiya” he complained.

“You make it easy” you let out with a small laugh. Zen didn’t react to that comment, his face now bearing a neutral expression when you snuck a peek at it. The car fell almost painfully silent, at which you reached over and turned on the radio. You began to hum along without thinking much of it. Soon you were accompanied by Zen, a smile placed back on his lips.

He was the one who broke out into full song first, singing and wiggling in his seat a bit in an attempt to dance. You joined in a few lines later, going all out when you got stopped at a stop light. You were turned towards Zen as you serenaded each other. The beeping of the cars behind you scared you both enough for you to stop singing for a moment and Zen pressed on the gas. You clutched your sore stomach after that, unable to control the laughter bubbling from inside of you. 

“We’re here” Zen said, a cheerful expression on his face. You were parked outside of a cute little cafe, the name foreign- maybe Italian? Zen came around and opened your door before you even had the chance to remove your seatbelt. You took his extended hand, remaining linked with your own as you walked in together.

It was empty, and the girl behind the counter greeted you both with a warm smile, completely unfazed by Zen, which was a relief. You sat in a small booth somewhat near the back, with you seated on the side that faced the door.

“Sorry we're in such a bad spot. I don't want us to be interrupted this time” Zen explained. You nodded in understanding; you had assumed that it would be harder to spot Zen from the large window. “Jaehee likes this place a lot. She actually recommended it” he said, not shy about grabbing your hand again or absentmindedly running his thumbs across your knuckles. 

“I don't think that she likes me very much” you confessed quietly, while looking down at the drink menu in front of you.

“Ah, I'm sure that's not true” he said, tapping his thumb against the back of your hand twice to draw your attention back to him. “She just takes some time warming up to people” His voice was coated with fondness as he spoke of her, and it left you curious as to how they had met in the first place. Before you could inquire about it, Zen asked if you were ready to order.

You nodded, telling him your order so that he could relay it to the girl behind the counter.

He returned after a couple of minutes with both of your drinks; he had gotten tea, for his throat (rehearsal had been straining it recently), while your own drink was just a hot chocolate with whipped cream on top. You still had work tomorrow, and the caffeine would only keep you all night at this hour. You raised it to your lips taking a small sip of the scalding liquid. It had burnt your tongue a bit, at which you made a quick sound of distress and quickly placed the cup back down.

Zen started laughing, making the small frown on your lips deepen a bit. “What's so funny?” You asked. 

“Whipped cream on your nose” he said endearingly, casually slipping a hand into his pocket to get out his phone. “Say cheese” he added, snapping your picture before you could wipe it off, much to your dismay. Without another word, he leaned over the table and swiped a thumb across your nose before putting it in his mouth.

A blush spiked across your face at the sudden action, earning you another round of laughter from Zen and a whispered ’so cute’. “Is your tongue okay? Want a kiss to make it feel better?” He provoked, his chin placed on folded hands as innocently, as he could manage. Your face flushed a deeper shade of red at the suggestion, but it was on. If Zen wanted a battle, then he better prepare himself… 

You leaned across the table, close enough that you could almost touch your lips to his. He froze, even his breathing halted, as his eyes carefully tracked you. In one fluid motion, you gathered some whipped cream on your finger and swiped it across his nose. “Say cheese” you mimicked, promptly backing up and snapping a picture of him on your own phone. Zen was taken aback to say the least. 

“M-MC that's dangerous” Zen scolded. “All men are wolves. If you give them a chance like that to pounce…” He cleared his throat before adding, “It's a good thing that I have a lot of self control, but MC you have to be careful. Even mine begins to dwindle after midnight...” He whined, while you stared back at him victoriously. Though, the thought of teasing Zen further, testing his self control seemed very appealing…

“Hey” you called, to grab his attention. You had put some on your own nose again, wiggling your phone in your hand. Zen got the message and let an easy smile fall on his slightly pink face before you took a selfie of the both of you. 

A peace treaty was made after that, allowing both of you to finish your drinks civilly. Zen threw some money, and you walked out of the small cafe together. “It's getting late” Zen sighed, once you both were settled back in the car. “We should probably head back. You have work tomorrow, right?” He asked. 

You shrugged your shoulders. “Yeah, but I don't mind being out a bit longer” 

“I... want to show you something then” Zen said almost hesitantly, as if unsure if it was the right thing to do. The ride back was silent, but you caught him every so often glancing at the clock, nervously.

***

“Even though we didn't get to take many pictures, I had a great time tonight” Zen said happily as you walked the front path to his apartment.

“We could take a few now” you offered as he opened the heavy door and held it open for you. He shut it after himself, while you reached down to take off your shoes. Hearing the distinct sound of a camera shutter go off, you straightened, not surprised to see Zen with his phone aimed at you.

“Not exactly what I meant” you said sidling up to him so you could view the pictures. He lazily swiped through a burst of photos that he had taken, stopping on a few that somehow came out looking fairly artistic. 

“That's going on instagram” Zen said decidedly on a photo of you, bending over slightly with one boot in hand. He quickly applied a filter and tagged you before uploading it. “Ah but come with me” he said as he strode with purpose to a door next to the bedroom. Sighing, you slipped your boots back on. You followed him up a small, dark flight of stairs, curiously. You could just make out a door at the top of the steps, barely discernable from Zen’s form in front of you.

The cool night air hit you once again, much to your surprise. The door had opened up onto a roof that overlooked the general area. It wasn’t too bad to look at, but the really breathtaking view was above you. You heard your breath hitch as you stared up in amazement at the amount of stars visible now that you were away from the city. 

Zen stood to your left, silently admiring your reaction for a few moments. “Ah, MC it’s pretty late…” he said reluctantly, slipping his phone back into his pocket after checking the time. When he looked back up, your eyes were closed in concentration and your fingers were laced together tightly in front of your chest. Were you… wishing on a star?

“Gah! My heart!” He exclaimed dramatically, half startling you. “MC, you have to warn me before you do cute things like that!” he added.

“I could stay out here forever…” you commented, still looking up.

_ ‘Please stay’ _

Zen shook his head in shock at the inadvertent thought. Thoughts like that were dangerous. He had to get you home now, or else...


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a bit late! But it's also a bit of a longer chapter, so there's a plus! I hope you like it!

“MC…” Zen’s low voice accompanied by a light touch to your shoulder drew your attention back to him. God, the way you were looking at him right now: eyes widened, head angled slightly to the side, lips parted just enough that if he leaned down, they’d be in the perfect position for him to kiss...

The more rational part of his mind seemed to scream. Zen was losing his composure much faster than usual; perhaps it was all of the harmless teasing that you did earlier. He took a step back from you, not completely confident in his ability to stick to his principles. Gentlemanliness aside, he was just a man, after all.

“Zen?” you said quizzically, your eyebrows knit together just enough that a small line formed between them. His eyes fell to your lips again and he couldn’t help but remember what it had felt like to kiss them. _What they felt like when they kissed him, warm and gentle against his bare skin, leaving a trail of fire all over his body in their wake-_

Taking a deep, calming breath before he spoke, Zen finally said, “It’s very late. I think it’s time that I took you to bed- home! I meant take you home!” You blinked incredulously at him, leaving no room for uncertainty on whether or not you had caught every word. A deep flush washed over both of your features and he slapped a hand over his face in a futile attempt to hide his mortification.

To his surprise, you cleared your throat. “Let’s go then” you said, levelly. He split two fingers and dared to open one eye to look at you. You were staring back at him with a small smile despite your own embarrassment, made evident only by the rosiness of your cheeks. He was extremely grateful to whatever higher power had you pardon him for his slip of the tongue. Though, it did little to relieve him of the electricity coursing through his body.

He rode his bike a little faster than normal, trying to deliver you home safely before he lost total control. Your arms, snug against his waist and your chest, squeezed tightly to his back were more than enough ammunition to fuel his _imagination._ God, why hadn’t he taken the car? _If you just slipped a hand a little bit lower…_

He somehow managed to walk you all the way up to your apartment door. The guards were relieved of their duty and you made quick work of unlocking the door before turning back to him. “Today was fun”

“I’m glad that you enjoyed yourself” Zen replied, wanting nothing more than for you to slip inside and lock the door behind you. Though, another part of him desired to push your back to it and mark you as he had the first night you met. “Goodnight, Jagiya” he barely managed to get out at the thought.

“Goodnight” you mused, taking a step closer to him. Zen swallowed thickly, leaving his throat feeling scratchy and constricted. He could practically feel your warmth, and he was certain that you could hear his heart hammering away in his chest. You reached on your toes, your shoes giving you enough height that you were able to place a quick kiss to his cheek before retiring to your apartment.

_Where had the timid, easily flustered MC that he had met the morning after gone?_ He remarked, thoughtfully. Not that he minded; the confident air you gave off now that you were more comfortable with him was incredibly alluring. Zen stood dumbfounded in the hallway with a hand laying absentmindedly on his cheek where you had kissed him. Coming too, he left the building, blushing heavily.

You were right when you said that he made it just too easy to tease him, earlier. _You were going to be the death of him…_

* * *

The weekend had rolled around, and you had planned to sleep in late for a change, then spend your evenings watching the DVDs.

Of course, that didn’t happen.

Not that you were complaining; Well, not entirely. Zen had called you obscenely early Saturday morning, asking if you’d like to come to his rehearsal. You grumbled something about sleep at him, which he brushed off easily and texted you the address when you hung up on him. You went back to sleep, setting an alarm so that you could visit him around lunch time. You dressed quickly, stopping on your way to pick up some lunch for the two of you before walking to the local theater, which luckily happened to only be a few blocks away.

As quietly as you could, you slipped inside the auditorium and sat yourself in the back. It was kind of hard to see from so far, and you couldn't hear much- the actors must not have been mic-ed.

You still were able to spot Zen right away; In his arms, lay a woman who you assumed was the lead actress. She was tall, with long dark hair that was as straight as a pin. She wore a long red dress with a high slit on the thigh that revealed one long leg, and had on a shade of red lipstick to match. Though, seeing how casually Zen was dressed, you weren't sure if she was in costume or just trying to show off.

You tried to divert your attention elsewhere, but you couldn’t stop yourself from staring at the pair with an unpleasant expression on your face. Finally, the director called ‘cut’ and ordered everyone to take a break. A small sigh of relief left you, happy that they would be untangled soon enough. But after he righted her, she wrapped her arms around his neck, effectively pulling him into an embrace before sauntering off stage, Zen’s gaze on her. Something inside you jumped in alarm, though you didn't get much time to focus on it.

A fairly large man, the director you assumed, made his way over to you, obstructing your view of Zen. “Sorry, but this is a closed rehearsal. You'll have to leave” he huffed.

“Oh, I didn't mean to intrude. I'm here for Zen” you explained.

“Aren't they all?” the man let out with a sharp laugh. You frowned. “Sorry, but no meet and greets today” he added as he tried to shoo you out of the auditorium.

“Please, I just came to bring him some food-” The man paused.

“Look. We can do this the easy way, or I could call security” he deadpanned.

You planted your heels firmly, and swiveled so you faced the man. “I'm his girlfriend” you said stubbornly, crossing your arms over your chest, defiantly. At that, he cocked an eyebrow in suspicion before calling Zen over. He’d still been practicing movements on stage, and promptly hopped down, lightly jogging his way over to you two.

“MC!” he had called eagerly from down the aisle. You gave a small wave back and flashed a smile. It seemed enough to convince the director to leave you alone. “You came!” he said proudly once he was closer and slightly out of breath. His eyes quickly moved to the bag you had in your hands. “What’s in there?” he asked, cocking his head to the side slightly.

“I figured that since you were just busy with the show, I would bring you something to eat on my way here” you explained. A big, goofy grin threatened to split his face in half as he snatched the bag from you. “Hey! My food is in there too!” you protested.

“Sorry! I’m starving” he said sheepishly, running his free hand through his sweat slicked hair. The action made it wild looking, sticking both to him and out in many directions. “Let’s eat together then!” he proclaimed happily. “Afterwards, I’ll show you around” He grabbed your hand lightly, and lead you toward the stage. He hopped up easily, while you opted to take the steps along the side of it. The strong stage lights warmed your skin as you sat to join Zen, who had made an impromptu tablecloth out of a towel he had found.

He stuffed his cheeks hastily, practically inhaling the food rather than eating it. You laughed at the sight of his packed cheeks, to which he replied with a muffled “Mwhuh?” You offered him no explanation, only laughing a bit more. When both of you were done, he gathered the trash and extended a hand out to you to help pull you up.

He then gave you a quick tour of the facility, showing you his dressing room last. “Hey, is it alright if I go talk to the director? I feel bad leaving you alone since you came to see me, but...r” he said regretfully. He left after you reassured him that it was fine, leaving you to stare around the costume filled space. Post-it notes were littered around the large vanity mirror, detailing memos on what to work on on stage.

A quick knock at the door sounded before the actress you had seen earlier walked inside.  Her hair was now in a messy bun, and she had swapped out her red dress for a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. In her hand was a very marked copy of the script. “Zen…?” she called out, her eyes landing on you immediately. “Oh. Is Zen not here?” she asked, quietly.

“He’s speaking with the director” you said, politely. You got a completely different feeling from her now; she seemed more timid than you had originally thought her to be, and the ugly feelings that you had felt towards her earlier were starting to subside. Up close, you could tell that she was a couple years younger than him, probably about 19.

“Ah, I see” she said. Surprisingly, she sat herself on the loveseat near the door. “I haven't seen you here before. Are you a friend of Zen’s?” she asked, cocking her head to the side curiously. Did she not know that you and Zen were ‘dating’?

“I’m actually-” you began but were quickly cut off by Zen reentering.

“Hey, I’m back” he greeted, looking down at his script. He quickly caught sight of his co-star and smiled. “Ji-eun, is everything alright? It’s not often I find you here” You couldn’t help but smile as her cheeks got red and she averted his gaze, clearly flustered.

“I wanted to know if you had any notes for me to improve the scene” she said, finally meeting his gaze. Zen nodded his head thoughtfully.

“Do you have room on your script left?” he teased lightly and her flush spiked. “Just kidding!” he added with a pat to her head. “Of course I’ll review with you, but… would tomorrow be okay? I’m sorry, but my girlfriend just got here and I’d like to spend some more time with her before the break is over.” The girl’s eyes shot to you, wide with surprise.

“N-no problem!” she squeaked. “I’m sorry for interrupting!” she quickly made her way out, face incredibly red.

“She’s sweet” you commented from your seat at the vanity.

“Yeah” Zen agreed, fondly. “She’s so young, but she’s already landed a lead in a fairly large production” He sat down where she had just been sitting so that he could face you. “I’m a bit worried that one of the men on set will prey on her. You can’t be too careful with actors. Or men in general”

“Should I be wary of you then, too?” you quipped. Zen placed a hand on his chest, gasping dramatically. A feigned look of offense captured his handsome face.

“I’m appalled! I am the only exception to that rule. I’m a complete gentlemen”

“Until midnight, isn’t that what you said the other night?” Zen laughed at that, breaking character.

“You remembered” he said with a smirk. He patted the cushion next to him, beckoning you to join him on the loveseat. He placed an arm on the couch behind you when you sat down, effectively turning himself to you. “Thanks for lunch” he said with a smile.

“No problem” you replied, leaning back against the couch more. You could vaguely feel Zen’s arm resting underneath your head. “Do you want to come over after work? I have to start watching the DVDs Jaehee lent me. She can’t make it and I don’t want to be alone so…” you let your sentence trail off, watching his face intensely.

“I’d love to” He seemed overjoyed at the suggestion. “Can we do it at my place? I’d really like to get some fish shaped buns with you. The cart by my house has the best bean paste filling in all of Seoul, I swear”

“Okay” you agreed with a small laugh. “When do you get off?”

“Well, we’re supposed to run through the show one more time, and if it’s clean after one take then we’ll get to leave then. Otherwise, we could be here all night” he said the latter half with a groan.

“From the top everyone!” the mic-ed voice of the director called through the door.

“That’s my cue” Zen said with a rueful smile.


	8. 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer than usual. I kept rewriting this chapter and got caught up with school. I hope you guys like it!

“Promiscuous Jalapeño Topping” read across the title screen of the first production of the night,  and you had no idea what you were in store for. Zen sat himself down a cushion away from you, placing a large bowl of popcorn resting atop it. By the time he had gotten off work, the fish shaped bun cart had been closed for the night, but he vowed to have you try some one day. 

For a show that was supposed to be about warring vegetables, Zen’s shirt was already off within fifteen minutes of it; not that it covered much of his skin to begin with. It had hung open almost entirely, only coming together where it met the thick waistband of his tight black pants. The light made his pale skin shine brightly, showcasing his torso. You swallowed unconsciously as you stared at the taut muscles of his abdomen, your ears long deaf to the song he was singing. 

Zen kept sneaking glances between you and the tv, an amused smile capturing his face at your intense gaze on the screen. Pride and excitement swelled inside him, overjoyed that you enjoyed watching him. “Shall we watch another?” he asked excitedly, when the actors onscreen began taking their bows. You nodded your head and he added “I'll pick it this time” 

After sifting through the pile for a bit, he pulled one out from the stack and switched out the discs. Zen would be lying if he said he was being a perfect gentleman tonight. The popcorn was a necessary placeholder, as it was already late and he was still a guy. And it was by no mere coincidence that he just happened to find his most romantic role from the pile and place it in. But you didn't need to know that.

As he moved to switch the discs, you moved the half empty bowl to the coffee table, sliding over to where it once was. Zen’s expression gave away none of the surprise he felt when he had turned back around, and casually sat back down in his spot and started the DVD. He tried to picture anyone but you sitting so close to him, but it was no use. The scent of you was overpowering: a light, feminine scent that he adored. It was taking everything he had not to pounce on you.

Meanwhile, though you hadn’t caught the title, it was clearly a more serious production. This time, Zen was a struggling writer in love with a woman already promised to a wealthy man. He was a great actor, you had to admit. Even the cringiest romance lines sounded sincere when pouring from his mouth. You glanced at him from the corner of your eye, surprised to find his eyes already on you. You turned your head toward him and he smiled brightly.

“How do you like them so far?” he asked, reaching over to the remote to hit the ‘pause’ button. His upper half was turned toward you, one arm resting over the back of the couch.

“You’re really good” you praised, and he felt his resolve unravel a little bit. “It feels like you’re really in love with her” you added, looking back towards the screen in an indication of who you were referring to.

“Ah~ I feel good” Zen beamed, trying to think of anything but cupping your face between his hands and kissing you. “I had a girlfriend at the time that I loved...” he trailed off wistfully, focusing on the fond feeling of what it was like to be in love. “That’s my secret; I just pretend the person on stage with me is the person I am in love with and it’s easy from there” You nodded your head thoughtfully.

“What about me?” you asked easily, despite your quickening pulse. You had meant to ask about what he did when he was single, but the words came out on their own before you could stop them. Something about just being around Zen had begun to make you feel uneasy in a good way. It been easy enough to maintain so far, but it was definitely getting harder. 

“That’s-” Zen coughed into his hand, turning away from you. “I-” he broke off again, attempting to collect himself. He knew that if the lights were up, you would be able to see how red he was. That is, if you couldn’t already feel it.

You sighed heavily with defeat, thinking that there would only be one reason why he wouldn’t answer you. “Nevermind. It was a stupid question” you tried to brush it off, reaching out to unpause the movie, mentally scolding yourself for falling for an act that you had been apart of from the beginning. The air had turned awkward to say the least. You started moving away from him, wanting the movie to be over so you could leave.

When Zen finally turned around and saw you back across the couch, sulking, he panicked. Composure be damned if the cost of him hiding his feelings made you upset. Letting the movie continue to play in the background, he sidled up next to you. You hadn’t so much as glanced at him from the side when you felt him nearby, set on keeping your features neutral for the rest of the night. Despite the last of his inhibitions, he called your name, and when you turned to him, he placed a quick kiss on your lips.

“MC, you don’t know how much I like you” he whispered, drawing himself near your ear. He was embracing you now, one arm secured tightly across your back and the other landing in your hair, his hand cradling your head. “I like you too much” he whined, sounding as if he were restraining himself. “I love you” he sighed, deeply. “MC, I’m in love with you”. 

Your breath had caught as he had spoken, and now it was completely gone after hearing his confession. Love? That was too insane of a concept for the two of you. Uneasiness swelled inside of you, but very unlike the butterfly-like sensation of your maybe-crush. Everything suddenly became too much: his arms around you were too tight, you felt too hot. Without a second thought, you pushed him from yourself.

He landed on his backside on the floor, his eyes wide with shock. Zen wasn’t sure what he was more surprised by; him telling you he loved you, or you shoving him to the ground. You sat wide-eyed yourself on the couch, looking rather unsettled. With a gulp, you bolted out from the half underground apartment, ignoring the shouts of your name.

* * *

Zen had dashed after you out of the apartment, but you were already out of sight. _ Idiot! _ He chastised himself repeatedly. His confession had only freaked you out, rightly so. Damn. Why had he let his emotions get to him so much? He’d been so worried about his physical reactions towards you that he forgot to censor his big mouth. It was unrealistic to think that barely a week would be enough time for two people to fall for one another, even for someone as romantic at heart as him. 

He tried calling you several times, none of which you answered. He left a voicemail pleading for you to at least text him when you got home, and forget about what he’d said. The temptation to have Seven track you was very strong, but he knew that if he did that it would only make matters worse. It was best to give you space.

With a strong sense of defeat, he returned back to his apartment. The pair of lovers on the screen seemed to mock him, and the only thing that had stopped him from snapping the disc in two was the reminder that it was Jaehee’s. He settled for grabbing his keys and hopping on his bike, riding as fast as he could to distract himself.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry I went a little MIA! So, I'm going to include 2 chapters this update! I hope you enjoy them!

_ I got home. I need time.  _

The relief that poured over Zen was about as comfortable as an ice bath after receiving your text. He was glad that you had at least let him know you were safe, but the latter half of your message made his blood run cold.

Sighing heavily, he leaned over the railing of the outlook. The illuminated city down below was as breathtaking as always. He had intended to take you there at some point, he remembered somewhat bitterly. Out of all the ways the night could have gone, he never expected  _ this  _ to happen.

Pulling a cigarette from the pocket of his leather jacket, Zen lit it with the fluid movements of a veteran. He inhaled deeply, letting the comforting action take hold of him. Black acrid smelling smoke floated around him as he exhaled, waiting only a few moments before taking another drag.

_ “Hyun” she mumbled, half caught in the clutches of sleep. Her head rested on his bare chest, the strong rhythm of his heartbeat incredibly soothing to hear. One of her arms was wrapped around his midsection tightly, the hand attached to it lightly tracing formless patters on his skin. _

_ “Yea, MC?” he answered just as tired, yet awake at the same time. His fingers combed through her tangled hair languidly, occasionally getting stuck until he worked out the knots.  _

_ “I just wanted to say your name” she drew out, slowly. “It must get tiring hearing ‘Zen’ all of the time” She nuzzled closer into him, whispering his true name over and over again. He felt his heart flutter a bit at the gesture. When he was sure that she had finally fallen asleep, she surprised him by quietly murmuring, “It must be lonely” knowingly, catching his hand to play with his fingers.  _

_ “This is the first time in a while I haven’t felt quite so alone” Zen answered, intertwining their fingers together. He placed a kiss on the top of her head. “It’s late. You should sleep, jagiya” He could see how tired she already was. He had been especially rough with her, after all. He softly began singing until she had finally dozed off. _

Zen finished the cig much quicker than he had intended. After throwing the butt on the ground and stomping on it, he lit another. Thinking about  _ that  _ night right now was the last thing he wanted to do. 

_ One moment he was embracing her tightly in his arms, and the next he found himself on his ass. He looked at her and saw the terror in her eyes. It took him a no time at all to realize that she was looking at him like that because of what he had said.  _

_ She sprang up from the couch and rushed out without further hesitation. His movements seemed to slow as he scrambled to his feet, chasing after her. But by the time he had gotten outside, she was gone. _

Zen slammed a closed fist down on the railing, the cigarette long forgotten on the ground. He was literally shaking from the strength of his emotions. With trembling fingers, he took out his phone. He dialed her number again, raising it to his ear.

* * *

 

Your stomach had dropped at the several missed calls, but you did listen to the voicemail he left. His semi-frantic voice was enough to elicit a twinge of guilt from you. Still too overwhelmed to speak with him over the phone, you opted to send him a text so you wouldn’t worry him further. 

Lead-filled legs took you as far as your bed before you flopped on it unceremoniously, spent from the adrenaline that coursed through you earlier. Curling up into yourself provided little comfort, nor did burying your head into the nearest pillow. Your body was irrefutably exhausted, but your mind remained restless. With a heavy sigh, you forced yourself to let your eyes close shut and forget about everything for a little while.

 

***

 

You took the few days away from Zen to treat yourself- something you hadn’t done in a long time. Your days now consisted of mostly sleeping, and binge watching Netflix when you were awake. 

You hadn’t yet reached a decision on your feelings, and admittedly, you didn’t want to think about that now. Pushing it from your mind, you looked forward to having some time alone. Just as you were about to seat yourself and resume your marathon, there was a quick knock at the door. Reluctantly, you moved to get it with a small groan, surprised to find the petite woman standing outside of your door. You knew how busy she always seemed to be. “Hello, Ms MC” Jaehee greeted, professionally. 

“What can I do for you, Jaehee?” you asked, opening up the door of your apartment wider and stepping aside to allow her to enter. “Coffee?” you offered but she politely declined.

“I cannot stay long” she explained. You tried not to personally take offense to her formal demeanor, remembering that she took her time warming up to people. “Perhaps I am out of line to ask this, but, did you and Zen have a disagreement?” she inquired in response to your earlier question. The question took you by surprise to say the least. But, seeing as she had helped you two plan how to get out of this mess in the first place, you owed it to her to give her an answer.

“Not exactly” you began to explain. “The line between what was fake and what was real became too blurred” you answered vaguely, not wanting to outright blame Zen when you had a hand in it too. “I decided that I needed a break from everything”

“I see” was all Jaehee said, pausing for a moment before continuing. “The past few days, Zen has been pushing himself too hard at rehearsal… He is a very emotional person. And being able to channel all of those emotions into acting is what makes him such a great actor... But, he sometimes lets those emotions control him and cloud his better judgement” She let out a small sigh, her face full of concern. “The last time this happened, he ended up with an injured ankle…” 

“You think he’s behaving this way because of me” you concluded more than questioned.

“I do” Jaehee said with a small nod. “More specifically, because of whatever happened between you two” she clarified. “Getting injured now would only force Zen to give up this role. It would be an excruciating let down for his fans, and his career” Jaehee grew increasingly bolder as she spoke. “I know it is not my place to say, but if you could talk with him, then maybe he wouldn’t work himself so-”

“He said ‘I love you’” you blurted out, cutting Jaehee off mid sentence. Her eyes widened just a bit behind her glasses, but she remained calm otherwise. Your voice was incredulous as you added, “We’ve known each other a week! People don’t just fall in love after a week!”

After a long while, Jaehee spoke. “Ms MC, I still suggest you talk about this with Zen” she said, her voice a tad gentler than before. “Thank you for your time. Oh-” she paused, halfway to the door, remembering something. “While I have never seen anyone fall in love in a week, I have seen two people fall in love in eleven days” With that, she left.

You sat yourself down at the table, Netflix forgotten, and finally forced yourself to sort out your feelings. You enjoyed the time you spent together, even feeling jealous on several occasions when other women had interrupted you. And sure, you had entertained the idea of Zen actually being your boyfriend more frequently, and you hadn’t  _ disliked  _ it when he had kissed you. While love was too strong to describe what you felt for him, you had undoubtedly developed some feelings for him.

Without further delay, you walked out of the front door.


	10. Chapter 10

“MC” The actor was stunned into silence at the woman standing in front of him. He had expected her to take more time than a few days before coming to him. He pinched himself subtly, surprised to find that she still stood there outside his door. _ She was real. _

“Hi” Her voice wavered slightly, either from her nerves or the cool breeze outside. Maybe both. “Can I come in?” she asked, hesitantly. He wanted to say that she was always welcome here- but instead he nodded silently and moved aside so that she could get past him. She hurried inside, cold to the touch as she brushed passed him. Although, it was to be expected, given that she was only wearing what looked to be her pajamas- a t shirt and shorts. He resisted the urge to scold her for her carelessness.

“I’ll make some tea” he said distractedly as she sat herself down on the couch. His eyes stole quick glances at her while the water was boiling, noting how natural it seemed for her to be there, were it not for the tenseness in her shoulders and her anxious expression. He came back silently, one mug in hand. A sense of deja vu hit him hard at the thought that she looked just the same as she had the morning after, albeit with a lack of his purple marks on her skin.

His usually expressive face gave nothing away of what he was feeling as you peered up at him closely. He offered you the mug, to which you gave a small ‘thank you’. He sat himself down across from you, looking as if he was looking through you.

“I heard you keep pushing yourself too hard at rehearsal” you said awkwardly, trying your best to not make it sound accusatory. “Jaehee told me that the last time this happened you hurt your ankle” you continued when he failed to respond to your first comment, you eyes absentmindedly flicking down to his ankle as you spoke. “Zen, you’ve worked so hard. And you’re a great actor. But if you overexert yourself like this, you could get hurt again” 

He still hadn’t said anything, to your dismay. It was almost like he felt deserving of the poorly veiled scolding. After a deep sigh, you said “Jaehee’s beyond worried about you” You swallowed thickly before confessing “And so am I” The small, sad smile the handsome actor formed at your worry went unnoticed by you, who shook your head, remembering the reason that you were here.

“That’s not what I came here for” you stated, a small frown downturning your lips. “Look Zen, I overreacted” you began. “We both knew that this had a time limit. And this all keeps happening because we rushed into things from the very beginning. And I can’t tell you ‘I love you’ because I’m not there yet and I don’t know if I will ever be and I don’t want to lead you on, so I think it'd be best if we just stopped this all and-” You broke off your rambling when you felt his warm hands cupping your face, thumbs swiping across your cheeks. You sat frozen under his soft touch. You didn’t even know why you were crying. “S-sorry” you squeaked, unable to evade his careful gaze. 

“First I scare you, then I make you cry” Zen said with a rueful smile and a sigh. “No wonder I haven’t had a girlfriend in five years” You couldn’t help but snort a laugh at his out of place comment. He withdrew from you and handed you a tissue, which you took gratefully. Relief flooded you when he finally spoke, the hint of playfulness easing your nerves at its familiarity. He waited patiently as you blew your nose. It took several more tissues before you felt your composure come back, at which you returned your attention back to the man across from you.

“I hadn’t intended on telling you that I love you, you know… But you looked so upset when you thought that I felt nothing for you. Then it just... slipped out” Zen stated with a shrug, regret devoid from his tone. “And even though we did rush into everything between us, I know that my feelings for you are genuine” He paused, red eyes filled with warmth as they stared at you. 

“You don’t remember that first night as well as I do” he stated. “But, what happened that night- I can't describe it. You made me feel something that I’d never felt before that night, MC” he let out a sigh, a small smile on his face as if remembering something pleasant. As quickly as it had come, the smile slipped away and a serious expression came back over the actor’s face. “If you want to stop this and go our separate ways, then we can” he said, softly. “If that is the case, I only have one question that I’d like you to answer” 

“Okay” you nodded, steeling yourself for the inevitable question. “Are my feelings one-sided? Even if it’s not to the same degree, do you feel anything for me at all?” Zen’s voice was desperate, as was the gaze he had fixed on you. He would wait forever for you if there was even the slightest chance that you felt something back for him.

You swallowed thickly, catching the lump in your throat. Your hands were in tight fists in your lap, clutching at the used tissue tightly. You opened your mouth to answer him, but your voice would not come. You were still too worked up. Closing your eyes, you took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm your nerves. “Yes… I like you” 

“What do you want to do?” Zen asked, tentatively. “We can stop, or...” he repeated, taking one of your hands in his “... we can take things slow- and for real this time”

He was still giving you an out. You could simply return to your old life; There would be no need for security to escort you places, no more paparazzi tailing you, no more late nights spent together leading to a very long work day the day after, no more facades to put up, no more bouts of jealousy.

But when you pictured Zen spending all of his affections on a woman that wasn't you, especially after you had come to terms with your own feelings, the thought made your stomach churn. Shaking yourself from your stupor, you answered “Slow”

A smile lit his face up just before he embraced you loosely, his head falling to your shoulder. Instead of feeling the need to escape as you had last time, you took comfort in him encircling you. Until the residual stench of cigarettes hit you, almost making you gag.

“Have you been smoking?” You frowned, and he froze, making his guilt known. “It’s really bad for you” you scolded lightly as your ears picked up the tiniest whispers of ‘thank you’s. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Insert Mushu GIF*   
> IIIII LIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEE!!!!  
> Okay, seriously though. I'm very sorry for going totally MIA on this story. But Exams kept hitting, and I had to keep up my grades, then I wasn't doing too hot all on top of writer's block. I know that's kinda just a bunch of excuses right after another... And this chapter is kinda more filler than content. So sorry for that. But! I'm getting back in the swing of things, so expect more of this story far sooner than in a few months!

To say you were nervous would be an understatement. Ironically, now that you and Zen were  _ really  _ together, you had barely heard from him the past week. It couldn’t be helped, you knew; with the show coming up soon, he had almost always been at rehearsal. And when he was home, he went straight to bed to recover. He did try to call you at every few days, but the conversations never lasted that long and you could hear how exhausted he was. 

 During your last call he had confessed to you that he had put off quite a bit of rehearsal time just to see you the past few weeks. And while he worked hard all of the time, his director was really cracking down on him now as punishment. You felt a little bit guilty for that, and when you apologized to Zen, he laughed, seemingly completely unrepentant. Instead, he had excitedly told you that he snagged you and Jaehee front row tickets any and/or all nights you wished to attend. 

You let out an exasperated sigh, falling back onto the mountain of clothes atop of your bed. Opening night was tonight, and you hadn’t had the time to find something that was suitable to wear. You knew how Zen cared little about appearances, but you wanted to look good for your reunion. And the fact that this would be your first public appearance where so many fans would be present didn’t help. 

 If it had been last week, during your little vacation, you could have simply spent hours looking, even days if it came to that. But work was keeping you busier than ever, and you were feeling increasingly overwhelmed. The only comfort you took was that the sooner the show ended, the faster you could have him all to yourself again. Perhaps you were a bit selfish for thinking so, but the thought made you really happy.

 It was surprising, how needy you were suddenly feeling after the absence of Zen’s attention. You had never been the type to act clingy or anything like that, so this development was a new sensation for you. Relationships weren’t something you had frequented over the years, instead focusing on finding a job to support yourself. It was a tad unsettling, realizing exactly how much of a hold Zen seemed to have on you too in the short amount of time that you’d known each other. 

 With a sigh, you dialed Jaehee, asking her ideas of what to wear. You and Zen had agreed to tell her about the change in your relationship- and ultimately the plan- after one of his shows. Though, given the way that you sounded extremely flustered as you spoke, and the fact that she knew of his feelings already, you wouldn’t be surprised if she had already pieced it together. After thanking her and apologizing for distracting her, you hung up, feeling yourself ease up a bit. 

 ***

 You sat in the back of the small cafe that you visited with Zen, bouncing one knee restlessly as you waited for Jaehee to get there. You had decided to meet up for coffee a bit early then go to the show together, since you were still a nervous wreck and she held the tickets. 

  _‘Be there in a few minutes! :D’_

 You felt your lip curve upwards at the friendly message, feeling as if you and Jaehee were finally starting to break the ice. 

 “MC” Jaehee called your name, seating herself across from you. As you looked up, you caught the slightest glimpse of an “#1 fan” t-shirt, and a pair of jeans, a rare sighting as you had only ever seen Jaehee wear business attire. Your eyes widened when she pushed up her sunglasses to reveal her glassesless eyes shining with excitement. You knew you were staring in complete awe, mouth hanging slightly open at the woman in front of you. “Is something the matter?”

 “Ah, sorry!” You said sheepishly, shaking yourself out of your stupor and feeling far too overdressed. You’d settled on a modest red dress with leggings, but seeing Jaehee dressed so casually made you feel like a bit of a try-hard. “I’m fine. You just look really pretty, Jaehee” you deflected with a small smile, at which her cheeks reddened.  She thanked you bashfully before excusing herself to order her drink.

 “Do I… look okay?” You asked once she returned. “I just don’t want to draw anymore unnecessary attention…” you trailed off, worrying your bottom lip. To your surprise, Jaehee let out a little laugh, bringing your attention back to her.

 “Sorry MC, I didn’t mean to laugh at your expense” she apologized with a small smile. “But trust me, no one will be looking at you. Especially not once Zen comes on stage” A small sigh of relief escaped you at Jaehee’s reassurance, and finally you allowed yourself to relax a bit more. She looked down at the watch on her wrist, and quickly finished the rest of her drink. “Oh! Mc, we should get going. It’s almost time for the show”

 ***

 The show was more incredible than you ever could have imagined, you thought as you cheered along with the rest of the audience during the final bows. The loudest screams, unsurprisingly, came when Zen came back on stage. His eyes fell right to the front row, the exact seats that he had reserved for you and Jaehee. The crowd went extra wild when he shot a wink in your direction, and like Jaehee had said, surprisingly no one looked your way at all. After everyone had begun to clear out, Jaehee pulled out a backstage pass from her purse and handed it to you.

 “I get one every show as president of Zen’s fan club. You should use it and go see him” she gently encouraged with a smile. 

 “But what about-”

 “I’ll be right here. Zen will know where to find me” Jaehee said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Besides, I’m sure that you are the one that he wishes to see the most right now”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to apologize again for taking so long off. Also thank you to everyone who sent such sweet messages while I was away <333


End file.
